Spiderwheels: smaller servos...

Wow, it feels like forever since I've blogged. I learned how to design circuit boards a few weeks ago. It is a lot easier than I thought it would be. While I was waiting for some new bits to come in the mail I started working on my Spiderwheels project again. I've been experiencing issues with my netbook since I got it and just recently found out what was wrong with it. It looks like the graphics card is overheating under normal use and cannot run for more than 20 minutes. I was really upset at first. I'm over it now. EBay is not always the best option.

Considering the netbook I got for this project is non-functional I have decided to look into building a smaller robot without the burden of the 2 lb netbook. This idea hit me when I stumbled across these servos. They weigh 9 grams and cost $3.50. Compared to what I was spending for the larger 55 gram HiTec servos, +/- $30, these are a steal. I went ahead and ordered a few to do some benchmarking. So far I am very impressed. I want to construct a leg and get a feel for accuracy before ordering more. With these prices this project may well produce a six legged walker from the start.

Here they are side by side:



Here is a close up of the 9 gram servo: